Mr. Cope. (Courtesy Papercitymag.com)

The Baer Faxt newsletter reported this morning that Marlborough Chelsea has hired former Marc Strauss director James Cope as its new director of sales.

Mr. Cope said he met gallery owner Max Levai at Art Basel Miami Beach last year and received a call about a job interview shortly after he left the Strauss gallery, which he'd joined this year after leaving the Dallas-based Goss-Michael Foundation, home to the art of singer George Michael and his partner Kenny Goss. At Marlborough, he joins an ever-growing roster of artists and staff (the gallery nabbed former Taxter and Spengemann partner Pascal Spengemann as its new director in January).

"My title is director of sales but it's still going to be the three of us, myself, Max and Pascal, working very hands-on," Mr. Cope said on the phone, "setting up shows and meeting with writers and curators, just all the usual kind of duties that one has to undertake when you're getting a program going. I'm really excited."